You can keep your terrazzo floor clean without negatively affecting the environment or your family’s health by using natural cleaning techniques. You can also create your own cleaning solution out of natural products to eliminate chemical cleaners from your household. Follow these three eco-friendly ideas to get started.
1. Make Your Own Cleaning Solution
Although your vinyl and tile surfaces benefit from natural cleaning solutions made from either vinegar or hydrogen peroxide, those substances can etch or corrode your terrazzo flooring surface. Instead, you should blend up your own cleaning concoction from cold water, lemon oil and two tablespoons of baking soda. Spray this solution on your floors and scrub them clean using light circular motions.
2. Use Fabric Rags
Skip the disposable paper towels in favor of rags and sponges to eliminate extra trash destined for the landfill. Reserve a handful of rags for just cleaning the floors to keep them separate from the ones used for bathing. Consider color-coding the rags in your house for quick identification by all family members. Let the rag pile build up until you have enough to throw into a single load of laundry.
3. Keep Rinse Water Clean
Drastically reduce the amount of water you use for washing your floors by keeping the rinse bucket uncontaminated. Only dip perfectly clean rags into the wash bucket to avoid making the water dirty. As each rag grows dark with dirt particles, throw it into the laundry pile for a quick wash later on. To keep your laundry pile low, you can use the same rag for scrubbing since you will rinse the dirt away with clean rags later.
Repeat These Steps Often
The number of times you need to clean your terrazzo flooring each week heavily depends on the amount of foot traffic moving in and out of your home. Whether or not you have pets also plays a role in the needed cleaning frequency. Always clean your floors before they look dirty to prevent the accumulation of stains in the porous surface. Also, wipe up spills as they occur to keep your terrazzo in perfect shape.
